


Over the Years

by petite_lilmiss



Category: JO1 (Japan Band)
Genre: (very) Light Angst, Alternate Universe - Childhood Friends, M/M, Not Beta Read, Romance, why is tagging so hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-26
Updated: 2020-11-26
Packaged: 2021-03-09 23:49:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,881
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27724399
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/petite_lilmiss/pseuds/petite_lilmiss
Summary: It was a hot day when they first met.Ruki was four; Sho was seven, but Ruki didn't know that.
Relationships: Shiroiwa Ruki/Yonashiro Sho
Comments: 4
Kudos: 18





	Over the Years

I.

It was a hot day when they first met.

Ruki was four; Sho was seven, but Ruki didn't know that. What he knew that day was his mom said yes when they saw a playground. And how long has he played? Too long!

The day felt stickier than yesterday. She told him something, something he should listen to. But seeing the slides, the swings! So high, high up there, he wanted to go up. Up so that he could see everything around him, like he's on top of the world!

So he ran, heart beating fast, giggling in excitement.

Then his shoe got caught on something, and he flew across the playground. He landed on his hands and knees. For a second, he stayed still, surprised by how fast he fell. The ground was hot under him.

It felt painful all of a sudden. Ouch! He couldn't take it, tears appearing. It hurts everywhere. His hands and knees. He bit down on his lip as he sat on his butt and checked his hands. Red and dirt. There was blood, tiny lines of it. He wasn't gonna cry, right?

But it was scary, and he wanted his mommy. But he tried not to cry, even as his eyes got blurry looking around. Where was she?

Then he came. A big kid he had never seen. He was bigger and taller. Maybe older? Oniisan? A stranger, but he looked nice. And worried when he ran over and helped Ruki get up. Oniisan tried to remove the dirt, but it wouldn't disappear. Ruki wanted to cry (he was already).

Oniisan told him it's okay to cry while trying to clean his hands and knees with a hanky. Ruki could see red coming off, too, as he sniffed and sniffed. He wiped his nose with the back of his hand.

His mommy came then, panicked and maybe a bit angry at him. Ruki didn't listen, so he was sure she was mad. But she cleaned the dirt and red and said they were going home (Ruki was sad he didn't get to play).

She said thank you to the big kid and asked for his name.

"Yonashiro Sho."

Sho-kun, Ruki decided quietly. Maybe a little awed by him.

He waved at Oniisan ( _Sho-kun!_ ) even as he wiped his eyes when they left. Sho smiled at him as he gave a thumbs up and waved back.

II.

Leaves of different colors were on the ground when Ruki fell back against the wall, trying not to fall on his butt. He looked up as he got back on his feet, fixing his clothes even though his hands shook a little. There were others with him, students from another class. But Ruki was small and thin for an eight-year-old, and they thought that was funny.

They laughed at him again, pushing him back a little too strongly. Leaves crunched under his feet when he stumbled, and he hit his elbow on concrete. That hurt! He tried not to show any pain as he got back up, looking at the others with a blank face.

His friends had told him he's hard-headed and have a face that can make someone fight him. Maybe he was for someone his height (he always looks up at people) and looks (skinny, no fat at all). But he didn't want the other kids to know how his heart sped up and his palms became sweaty as he faced bigger people like them. He didn't want them to see how he tried not to run away (because he wasn't a chicken!).

The tallest kid shoved his chest, saying how Ruki was trying to act tough (was he?). Ruki saw him raise a fist, and he knew where this was going. He shut his eyes tightly, ready for the pain.

Then someone shouted.

His eyes popped open, all of them turning towards the noise. His jaw dropped when he realized who the intruder was.

Even the tallest kid was no match for Sho, who was their senpai. Despite being in the same uniform, the older student looked intimidating, scary even as he glared at them.

"Beat it."

Ruki had never seen people run so fast, scattering like a bunch of bugs avoiding a foot trying to step on them. He let out a deep breath before he heard leaves crunching. He turned as Sho approached him, grinning like he didn't just scare off some kids.

He had never felt so relieved to see someone. He had to take a shaky breath because he felt crying (but big kids don't cry, right?).

Sho saw this struggle. With a hand ruffling his hair, he smiled and said Ruki's fine now. He offered to walk home with him, too. Ruki could not say no because he didn't want to be alone (plus, the older kid makes him feel better).

They walked side by side, Sho telling stories of his day. Ruki knew the older kid just wanted to calm him down, so he let him talk and talk and talk (besides, Sho's voice was nice to listen to).

Sho picked up a leaf along the path, saying how the season colors were nice. Ruki smiled at him through teary eyes, agreeing. But he thought seeing Sho's smile was much nicer.

III.

Mom had made him wear thick clothes that day. The news reported a cold wave, and she was worried he'd get sick from it. Ruki didn't mind, though. He gets colds easily.

To his surprise, she gave him a new jacket. One he knew he'd been eyeing for some time now. How did she know? She said he was outgrowing his clothes too fast for someone in his early teens. No longer small, huh? Still a bit skinny.

But he wasn't gonna complain about getting new stuff. Sho has to know, too, that he finally got it!

Ruki nearly ran all the way to the school. He had to show the other before anybody else saw him. The older teen was always early to school, doing extra schoolwork or helping the teachers. Ruki wouldn't have any problem finding him.

He turned a corner, a couple of streets away from the school gates. He knew there wouldn't be a lot of people yet because he was earlier than usual today. He'd have more time to talk to Sho. His heart skipped a beat at that thought. He always looks forward to their talks.

When he neared the street leading to the gates, Ruki's eyes caught a familiar sight of a green hoodie. He slowed down to a complete stop when he realized what the other was doing.

Sho was bent close to another student. A girl. Was she in his class?

But that wasn't important. Because Sho was kissing the girl's cheek.

Something heavy fell in Ruki's stomach as he stared. Staring was rude, but he couldn't take his eyes off them. When did Sho...? He never told him anything about a girl. Sho always seemed to be surrounded by friends. Or at least, Ruki thought they were just friends.

He watched as Sho straightened up, smiling at her. That was a different smile. Ruki had never seen that on his face before. Then the girl waved and entered the school grounds, leaving Sho standing alone.

Alarmed that the other might catch him, Ruki turned around, ready to escape.

"Ruki!"

Crap! He wasn't fast enough. He debated for a few seconds whether to ignore the other or not. But Sho would ask. Because Sho always notices. Other times, Ruki would have been willing to spill everything.

But maybe... not this time. Not this one.

So he gritted his teeth and slowly turned, aiming a smile and a wave at the other. He felt awkward and out of place as he slowly (very slowly) made his way to the older student.

As he came closer, it dawned on him that he was feeling weird inside. Like he didn't want to see the girl's face. Like he could pretend that he saw nothing this morning.

They greeted each other, Sho smiling as always, Ruki painfully trying too hard. They walked past the gates, the older guy talking about something. Ruki chose to stay quiet, nodding with his eyes on the ground.

He forgot to tell Sho about his new jacket.

IV.

Ruki hates the cold. He gets sick easily, and the air always feels so heavy. The sensation sticks to the skin, and it doesn't go away, even when he's inside somewhere.

He didn't think he was gonna hate it even more. But he did.

Sho invited him out; he wanted to eat in that newly opened restaurant across their school. He wanted to treat Ruki, too, with graduation nearing for the older student (wasn't it supposed to be Ruki's treat?).

Ruki wouldn't say no, even though it must be one of the coldest days of the season. He knew the older guy's reputation (a jock, kind, popular, and _single_ again), and Ruki wasn't passing off an opportunity for some time alone with him.

He grinned when Sho saw him approaching. He'd never admit it out loud, but Sho was damn good-looking. Getting into sports and muscle training had the other growing big and brawny. He was bulky for a high schooler; yet, he always has that kind and amicable face. Like anyone can approach him (which oftentimes, someone does, much to Ruki's chagrin).

Sho chose to dress up that day, a jacket and a pair of matching pants (setup oniisan, as he was once called) underneath a padded coat. And maybe Ruki was a little giddy because he had decided to dress better, too (just in case). Sho returned the smile ( _don't die, Ruki_ ) before leading him inside the restaurant. Ruki couldn't wait for the rest of his time (date?) with Sho.

But he had been too hopeful.

When Sho revealed the truth about why he asked him out, Ruki had been about to take a bite of his food, some fancy pasta he could no longer remember the name. He slowly set his hand down, fork along with it, and lifted disbelieving eyes at the other.

"You're joking... right?"

Sho couldn't be, though. He would never lie about something like this. But Ruki wished he did, just so that it wouldn't hurt so much.

Another country. Another place. After graduation.

Ruki couldn't process much after that. He lost his appetite; he could only play around with the food, pretending to eat ( _sorry for wasting the treat, Sho_ ). He didn't think something like this would happen. The older guy had always been there, a constant presence Ruki looks forward to every day.

Why would he leave him?

Snow was falling when they had gotten out of the restaurant, a tense and awkward silence between them. Ruki had no energy to talk; his chest felt constricted, his breathing labored. He was torn between punching the other or convincing him to stay. He didn't do either.

Instead, they walked silently. Out in the cold, meters apart (like how Ruki suddenly felt from the other). He had a lot to say (confess, too), but he knew all would be lost. He pulled his coat tighter around him, feeling an icy grip on his chest.

Sho was leaving.

Ruki hated the cold even more.

V.

The first bloom in their area was supposed to happen sometime this week. It was reported several times in different weather forecasts. A needed respite from the awful chilly days (at least, in Ruki's opinion).

Nevertheless, Ruki turned down any invitation to go see cherry blossoms. He wasn't into it, and classes were kind of hellish for him now. Professors just kept on assigning more work, and he's about halfway to losing his mind.

He gathered his things when the professor of his last class finally dismissed them. He declined his classmates' offer to go eat somewhere (always a late, late lunch), saying he'll just grab something on the way back to the dorm.

His mind was already listing the things he had to do. A paper by tonight, a couple more to add more info to, a project by the end of the week. Just thinking about them was making him tired, and his body hurt. But he was on the last stretch, and he didn't want to fail himself then.

Once his bag was fixed, he hurried out into the hallway and outside of his college building. He waved at some acquaintances, purposefully trying to look in a hurry so that they wouldn't have to invite him somewhere again. He wasn't a loner, really. It's just that on some days, he wanted to be alone. It was one of those days.

The air was still cold, but not like the harsh winds of the previous month. The atmosphere was changing to something cooler; Ruki had been waiting for this for a while now. He didn't bother tightening his coat around him as he walked on the university grounds, his bag slung on his shoulder. It was somehow refreshing because he could sense a shift in the air.

He walked past the gates, turning on the corner to head back to his dorm. He was lucky to have it within walking distance (fewer chances of getting to class late). But he took a detour 'cause he missed lunch for the nth time and his stomach was gonna protest soon.

As he made his way, checking the available restaurants and cafes, he realized that there was a cherry blossom tree near this street. A little strange to have a lone one, but it was still a sight to see every time it blooms. He hurried a little, chuckling at himself for declining his friends' invite only to go after this one. Well, it wasn't guaranteed that the tree had blooms already.

In his rush, Ruki couldn't stop in time to avoid colliding with someone stepping out of a shop. He hit head-on into a guy heavier than him, making him stumble back a few steps. An apology was at the end of his tongue when he looked up.

But that left him as well when he saw the other person.

"Sho...kun."

The older guy's eyes widened in recognition, before a smile so familiar (it made Ruki's chest ache) appeared on that face. That face he missed so much. Those eyes he missed seeing. His name slipped past those lips he spent so many times stealing glances and wondering (about a million things he can't say), and maybe Ruki felt speechless.

He's back.

Ruki expected the beginning of another season. But as they aimed twin smiles at each other, it seemed like something else was to start again.

VI.

A breeze whipped by, ruffling his clothes, but Ruki didn't feel any relief. The sun was high up in the sky, shining too brightly to be even comfortable. He muttered under his breath, damning this weather. Good thing he had his umbrella with him or this would be short of torturous.

One thing he was thankful for weathers like this, though, is the change of clothing options. Thinner materials, shorter parts, maybe a little skin? He himself was in a loose pair of shorts with an even looser shirt. But the materials were thin enough to feel a little breeze.

But he wasn't really talking about himself in this case. In fact, as he crossed a street and neared their meeting point, he was looking forward to seeing someone else.

He tried to bite back a smile when he instantly saw Sho, waiting patiently under a similar umbrella. He didn't have to call the other because he immediately sensed him, turning almost as soon as they were within each other's sight.

During the time Sho lived overseas, he'd only grown into a more beautiful version of himself. Tall and fit, he fitted any outfit (at least the one he comes up with), and Ruki couldn't even be more thankful to have such a wonderful man with him.

Sho dressed up like him, loose, thin clothes to stay comfortable. But it didn't really matter if it was as casual as he can be. Ruki still smiles at the sight of his boyfriend.

He rushed the few feet between them, closing the umbrella before ducking under the one Sho held. He grinned at the other as Sho smiled back.

"Been waiting for long?" He asked, hands reaching to touch the other, one on the chest, another on the hand holding the umbrella.

Sho shook his head, still aiming that sweet smile. "But I'll always wait for you." He whispered, lowering himself to press his lips on Ruki's.

Years ago, Ruki wouldn't have thought the big Oniisan he met would mean anything significant to him. They seemed like typical friends to each other, always there when needed.

But as Sho straightened up and took his hand, smiling so softly at him (like he was the only one the other could see, feel, and hear), Ruki was grateful he went to the playground that hot, sticky day years back.

They met on a summer day, but it was the different seasons they spent together that made them fall in love.

END

**Author's Note:**

> I dunno what I tried to do here 😐 Supposed to be for Ruki's bday, too, but I didn't finish in time 😅
> 
> Anyhoo~ listen to Shine a Light (and the full album!) a lot! 🥰
> 
> (Hoping for ynrk in hapimeri performance 🙏)


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